The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-06-29
NO DANGER OF AN OUTBREAK.
ThE REPORTED NEGRO J,SURREC.
TION IN LAURENS COUNTY.

Holding Meetings at NIidnight-.So Au
thority for the Dire Threats Said to Have
Been Mado--"I'rinciples" OF the "Co
Operative Workers of America"
(From the News and Courlcr)
LAURENs, June 20.-Colooel j. ii
Traynham, of the Governors staff, anC
Captain il. f.. Irby, of the Lauren!
Guards, havo returned from Cedar
Grove, Young's township. Colone
Iraynham refuses to be interviewed, bu
he will proceed to Columbia end repor
directly to Governor Richardson 20
morrow. Captain Irby, however, is un
der no obligation to report officially, anG
has very kindly furnished me such in
formation as he had.
There is no doubt that some of the
negroes arc organized, and that they
often hold meetings between midnight
and daylight with tho greatest prccau.
tons at secrecy, scntinols being station.
cd at convenient distances from the
rendezvous. The various dire threats
Ni''NN Ai'''' 'NNII 81 Ml'lClH ClGCulltS(l CuIl
not be traced authoritatively to the or
ganization. There will be no outbreak
unless the negro leaders shall act rashly,
us tho whites preserve great caution. /
neglected to say that the meetings arc
held near the lines of Laurens and
Grccnyillc counties, on the Grccnvllc
side,
The organizations are known as the
'n 4
and are the offspring of the Hoover iu-
ilucncc, and many believe they are for
the purpose of cXtOrting money from the
ignorant negroes. It costs each member
one Collar and tifty-live cents TO take all
the degrees, and one dollar and fifty
cents Of that amount is forwarded to
Hickory, \. G. Several packages of
money have been sent from Simpson
vile, Grccnyillo county, and Woodruff,
Spartanbur8 county, to Hickory, n. G..
| have secured somc of the literature
OF the "Co-opcrative Workers Of Amcri-
ca, " issued "by order OF the executive
board, IL. Il. Hoover, president; w. i.
hilllan, vico-prcsidcnt; John L. Ross,
general secretary; G.. IL. llawn, treasur-
cr: }. a. Bolch, general auditor; Martin
No!dCr, general committee agent" I'M
der cover of small pamphlet, signed as
above indicated, | CLEAN what purports
to be the principles and objects OF the
organization.
"lt is the proper object of government
TO make laws that Will secure the great
est good to the greatest number, on the
basis OF absolute Justice, with an aim to-
ward universal liberty.
'foI many years our government has
rtI1 r., InD ii ,t,r, g. 6.
the benefit of II privileged class-thc
the useful people, have hard burdens
hard to bear
The objects Of the organization are
declared to be:
",Io elevate and dignity labor; to Sc
cure to the laborcr Il just share of the
products OF his toll; to instruct him in a
knowledge OF his rights and his wrongs,
and his duty to his country and his iel-
low-mun; to use all rational means to
better his social, moral and financial con-
dition.
To accomplish these objects they de-
mand:
"Tho establishment of bureaus of
labor statistics; tho abrogation of laws
that do not bear equally upon capital
and labor; the adoption of measures
providing for the health and safety of
tn )sc engaged i'll mining, &c.; the en-
actmcnt OF laws to compel corporations
to pay their employees weekly in lawful
money; the enactment OF laws providing
for arbitration between employer and
employees; the enactment of laws to
prohibit the hiring out Of convict labor
and to work cOnvicts on the public
roads; that the importation Of foreign
convict labor be prohibited; that the
poll tax be repealed; the establishment
OF n free cooperative school system; the
abolition Of child labor in mines, work
shops and factories"
They demand of Congress: "That the
pubic lands, the heritage OF the people,
be reserved for actual settlers, NC. the
establishment OF IL national monetary
system; that n graduated income tax be
lowed 50 that the greater the income the
higher the rate of taxation; the enact
mcnt of graduated forfeiture Act to he
levied ON the estates of the rich mt their
death; that the government shall organ.
lZc financial exchanges, safe deposits,
Nc. that tho government construct pos.
tai telegraph or telephone system, &c.
that United States Senators be elected
by the people; that the Government es-
tabish and maintain q free ballot in
every State of the Union; radical re.
duction in the fees, salaries and per.
qulsltcs Of government officials is de.
manded; that the hours of labor be re.
duccd."
Then they say:
''We are opposed to war, and consider
strikes as dangerous to society, hurtfu
to the participants and contrary to the
interest of good government.
They promise cooperation with the
knights of Labor aud all similar organi
cations.
Colonel Traynham's Report.
After stating that, in obedience to the
order of the Governor, he visited Cedar
Grove or tho 18th instant and inter
viewed several prominent men in regard
to the matter, Colonel Traynham says:
"Ihero is no doubt as to the existence
ls.T ....., - A